Voices Of Choice

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade in 2013, we made our documentary Voices of Choice: Physicians Who Provided Abortions Before Roe v. Wade, available online, in full, for the first time.

A 25-minute film created by Physicians for Reproductive Health in 2003, Voices of Choice documents the experiences of physicians involved in abortion care and reform prior to the landmark Supreme Court Roe decision in 1973. Their stories remain fascinating, moving, and profound—a record of the horror of illegal abortion and the social and historical ramifications of a time when health care providers worked to save the lives of women who suffered needlessly.

Voices of Choice preserves the legacy of older physicians and figures in the reproductive rights movement who witnessed the effects of illegal abortion, including:

Watch the full video, and follow the links below to read transcripts from individual interviews. To request an interview with one of the physicians featured in the Voices of Choice video, please call 646-649-9935 or email dana@prh.org.

Transcripts:

Six years ago, we lost a dear friend, a brilliant and compassionate physician, and a true hero. Dr. George Tiller was murdered at his church by an anti-choice extremist. While we will never fully be able to forget the tragic loss of this day, we also will take the opportunity to celebrate Dr. Tiller’s life and work and share the ways in which he inspired and touched us all.

Our memories of Dr. Tiller are still quite vivid. Here are a few videos and written profiles that offer a small snapshot of the incredible and brave physician that he was:Video: Dr. Tiller talks about how he became a providerVideo: Dr. Tiller explains why he continued his work, despite repeated harassment and violenceVideo: Voices of Choice, our documentary about pre-Roe abortion providers, featuring Dr. TillerOral history: “I have more to be grateful for than I have to be resentful about.”Profile: A 1998 portrait of Dr. Tiller

Forty years ago, the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States. Some of our physicians witnessed firsthand the horror and tragic consequences of illegal abortion, and the suffering they saw moved these men and women to push for safe, legal abortion for anyone who needs that care. Their experiences inspire us to keep going until abortion is truly accessible throughout the nation, without restrictions that hurt women and their families. We honor their stories by sharing them here: with Voices of Choice, a 24-minute documentary created in 2003, and with profiles of doctors who were involved in abortion care and reform prior to the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.